Malaysia Sends Team To Pakistan To Investigate Detention Of Suspected Malaysian Scammers

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has dispatched a special team to Islamabad, Pakistan, to investigate reports regarding the detention of several Malaysians suspected of involvement in an online scam syndicate.

Inspector-General of Police Mohd Khalid Ismail said that, for the time being, he could not confirm the exact number of Malaysians detained as the investigation is still in its early stages.

"The Home Minister informed me yesterday that visits to these specific locations require coordinated action, not just between us, but also on a government-to-government level," he told reporters after the handover ceremony for All-Terrain Tactical Assault E-bikes (ATEB) here Wednesday.

Also present was Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department (KDNKA) director Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri.

Mohd Khalid said PDRM is actively tracing the network of individuals involved in these activities with the cooperation of Pakistani authorities.

On Tuesday, international media reported that Pakistani authorities detained 258 foreign nationals during a raid on a scam call centre in the Gulberg Green residential area on the outskirts of Islamabad.

The arrests involved 40 Chinese nationals and 170 Vietnamese nationals, in addition to Malaysians and citizens from other Asian countries.

Meanwhile, Mohd Khalid revealed that current trends show online scam activities increasingly involve foreign nationals, particularly those from China.

He noted that the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) in Cyberjaya receives over 500 calls from victims daily, and every complaint is followed up with a police report to enable the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) to take immediate action.

He said the severity of the issue was evident with the arrest of 182 foreign nationals last month who were attempting to turn Malaysia into a hub for online scam activities.

-- BERNAMA